Say It
by Ziptango
Summary: Got angst? Complete.


*~ A writer gives every subject a try, so here's my shot at some real angst. But I'm warning you, this is NOT a happy story! Realistic readers proceed. Extremely optimistic readers turn back while you still can!!!  
  
  
  
The edge of my own blade cinches tightly against my painfully exposed throat. One flick of his wrist and my journey here comes to an end. I am not afraid. Death constantly surrounds me like the very air I breath. It is the foundation of my life. No matter what path I choose, it lurks in my shadow waiting for a weakness. With a hard swallow, I allow my eyes to stray on the scene before me. Reflections of light twirl across the blade below my chin with my shifting gaze to meet another hard stare. Raphael's soft brown eyes curdle with rage and frustration, exposing a murderous essence. A sai is tilted downward towards his heart almost quivering with anticipation. His assailant waits for a signal from the form clutching my weapon and life. Although I cannot see his face, I can sense a wicked curl in his lips. His breath is hot on my neck, and his metallic stench hovers like a sickening mist of blood.  
  
"Say it," the raspy voice taunts in my ear.  
  
"No."  
  
"Say it or die," my throat convulses slightly as the katana digs deeper into my skin.  
  
From the corner of my eyes, I can see Raph jerk with fury, nearly coming within fractions of the sai.   
  
A choke comes from the other side, and my eyes wander to its origin. Donatello gasps slightly as the pressure of his bo crunches the delicate cords in his throat a little more. His wide eyes shift in panic as a play back of his life flashes through his head. He's clutching the staff trying to wretch it away for more air, but the Foot soldier behind him has the upper hand.   
  
Mikey stands nearby completely petrified. A nunchaku is poised above his skull waiting to deliver the final blow. Silent tears stream down his cheeks with pleading eyes almost begging me to say it. Just say it!  
  
"Leonardo!" Shredder's voice snaps like a whip," the moment has come to denounce your honor to me. Say it and you'll be spared."  
  
"I-I...," I stammered, but my lips refused to form the words.   
  
"Yes! Say it!"  
  
"I-..."  
  
*flash*  
  
Suddenly, a blur leaped into the center of the gathering while gracefully throwing shrunken stars at each executioner. As his enemy was distracted, Raphael immediatly snatched his sai and killed him with a swift onslaught. Don's opponent also collapsed as a star lodge directly between his eyes. He then fell to his knees gathering up the sudden rush of air to his lungs while Mike twirled his weapons in triumph, nearly laughing at the sudden change of the tables. Shredder roared in fury, and released me with a shove to the ground.   
  
"The rat!" he stepped up to Splinter, letting his shadow hover over our rescuer.   
  
"Shredder," Splinter said calmly while bending his knees into a fight stance.  
  
"Your honor will only be denounced in death!" the enemy hissed and rushed at the small figure with my weapon.   
  
The rat slipped a bony hand into his robes and quickly withdrew a small blade. The two bodies clashed, metal and flesh. The katana arched above and swished down towards Splinter's head, but he ducked and used the momentum to twist behind him. Shredder immediatly spun around to counteract, but the claws clutched his cape making the movement clumsy. In that instant of distraction, the small blade impaled the Shredder between the shoulder blades. The metallic monstrosity let out a furious howl and deftly dropped to the ground.   
  
"Never under estimate the enemy, Oraku Saki," Splinter whispered in the dead body's ear as he pulled the blade out and returned it to it's concealed position. In temporary shock, my brothers and I gathered around him.  
  
"Sensei!" I leaned in to imbrace him in a hug, but he caught my shoulders and held me away.  
  
"Death does not denounce your honor, my sons. It only blends it with eternity."   
  
*flash*  
  
"Say it! Say it NOW!"  
  
"I-I...," I gave a tearful glance at my struggling brothers," I love you!"  
  
At my final words, the blade sliced into my throat. At the same instant, Raph fell bleeding on the ground with an impaled heart; Donatello dropped after his last strangled breath; and Michaelangelo instantly collapsed with a fatal head injury. Each set of eyes starring into oblivion while clouding with death. Their honor and souls blending with eternity.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN:  
  
*~Liked this story: Okay, I decided to write this after being inspired with a Civil War story by Ambrose Bierce. So it didn't just come from the fiendish recesses of my mind, lol. Well, I'm you enjoyed it! I'm very interested in comments on this one, so please review!  
  
*~Didn't like this story: That's fine you're certainly free to review and tell me all about it ^_^ (no flames though! Eeep!) but try this experiment first. After reading this, go read another story with a happy ending. Then come back and tell me what you think. Did you notice how much more you paid attention to the turtles? How much more did you appreciate them? That's why I like stories with death scene because it really gets you thinking about everything in that character. Only then do we truly appreciate them and life as well.  
  
*~Didn't even understand this story: Alrighty, here's how it works. The story first starts out in present tense, correct? So as we're moving along, a "flash" suddenly occurs. That's actually signaling the beginning of Leo's thoughts not Splinter's sudden entrance. Ha ha! Fool you! Hehehe, okay, so Leonardo thinks of this whole escape plan in a few seconds. Notice it's in past tense! Then another "flash" occurs and we return to what was going on at the beginning with Splinter's advice still ringing in his head. The idea with the whole flash back is that Splinter seems to always come to save the boys when they're in a fix, and Leonardo makes the mistake of assuming that as well. So this scene flashes through his head, but as we all know our favorite turtle heroes are not immortal. I think, stories such as these bring their mortality into perspective and proves that good guys don't always win. So what cha' think? =0)  
  
  
  
Author: Ziptango  
E-mail: ziptango@hotmail.com  
Web Address: www.geocities.com/fan_attik  
  
(My website includes my fanfiction in more   
presentable forms, TMNT News, TV Listings,   
Greeting Cards, and you can even come over   
and give your fav turtle a smooch :p ) 


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